Chapter 57 Sienna
SIENNA
It wasn’t until I was creeping through the shadowy shipyard that I asked myself what would probably have been an obvious question for any other reasonable human being—is this a good idea?
The metal lock on the front gate was already broken so I was able to slip through it to reach the small free-standing office.
My sweaty hand clutched the barrel of my gun and my other twisted in Vovk’s fur.
He was tense but didn’t alert to anything as I peered into the office windows.
There was no light, no movement—nothing to suggest anyone was there.
I sucked in a wavering breath and pulled out the lock-picking tool I’d gotten from Arta.
She’d given it to me in Paris as a parting gift, which had made me laugh at the time, but I couldn’t be more grateful for it now.
It didn’t take me long to break into the office.
Vovchyk trotted inside first and I followed.
My pounding heart and the panic coursing through my veins slowed me down, but even so, it only took a few minutes for me to regain access to the surveillance cameras.
I flipped through each camera view, unsure if I wanted to find the Souleater or not. I got my answer when a large, grainy person moved through one of the camera views…straight towards the office building.
Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Staying in here as a sitting duck was decidedly not a good idea.
I threw my laptop into my bag, grabbed my gun, and followed Vovk out of the office.
We crept deeper into the shipping yard. The tall chain-link fence surrounding the maze of shipping containers gave me the intense sensation of being trapped with a predator.
Ragged breaths burned my throat, and I tried to stay quiet as the row numbers grew higher and higher.
My joints and feet ached, sharp pain stabbed my struggling lungs, and I kept one hand under my belly, trying to give myself support as I ran.
When I felt like I was on the verge of passing out, I turned down a row and pressed my back against the cold metal side of a container.
I clutched my chest, trying to slow my breathing.
When my baby girl gave me a kick, my jaw clenched against a sob.
I had done it again. Like so many times in my life, I had reacted without fully thinking through the implications of my actions, and now my baby was in danger.
A profound wave of shame crushed my chest.
My daughter would never be safe as long as men like the Souleater walked the earth.
But…for the first time in my life, I understood Matteo’s anger when I’d told him I wanted to hack for the Family.
I had never really feared death or danger, but I wasn’t alone anymore.
My daughter was with me and she depended on my body to keep her alive.
Atlas
Im here. Where are you
I pressed my lips together to silence my relieved whimper.
Hedgehog
row99
Vovk’s hackles rose. His yellow eyes were fixed on the far end of our row of containers. I tightened my hold on my gun and flipped the safety off, but my legs were frozen. Was someone there? Should I stay or make a run for it to another row?
My body jolted when Vovk let out a low growl.
“Shh, shh.” I stroked my hand down his back, desperate for him to quiet so he didn’t give away our location. He stopped growling, but the tension did not leave his body…or mine.
My limbs shook with adrenaline. At this point, there was no hope of slowing my breathing.
Who the fuck was I kidding with my fantasies about being a badass like the Albanian women? I wasn’t brave enough for any of this. This wasn’t like a video game. There was no starting over if I failed, no magic healing elixir for protection.
Atlas
at row 27
Hedgehog
He’s close
Please come faster. Please, Atlas.
Atlas
58
Vovk’s growl echoed between the metal, this time even louder and more vicious. I needed to make a run for it, but before I could take a single step, a gunshot split the air. I screamed as the bullet pinged off the container a few feet away from me.
A shadowy figure stood at the far end of the row. Blind fear fell over me like a dark haze. I raised my gun and started shooting, only stopping when the man jumped backward and disappeared behind another container.
I ran, turning left as I emerged from the row. Another gunshot whizzed past me, and I screamed right before I slammed into something hard.
No. Someone.
A rough hand covered my mouth. Panic surged through me as I struggled against my captor.
The person inhaled sharply and hissed. “Sienna.”
I froze. I knew who that voice belonged to.
My husband’s icy blue eyes stared down at me.